[Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess]Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little PrincessOnce upon a time...There lived a king who was deeply in love with a princess, but she could not marry anyone, beca...+阅读
The Little Girl Who Dared To Wish
As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from her classroom, she collided with a tall boy from the fifth grade running in the opposite direction.
“Watch it , squirt.” The boy yelled as he dodged around the little third-grader. Then, with a smirk on his face, the boy took hold of his right leg and mimicked the way Amy limped when she walked.
Amy closed her eyes. Ignore him, she told herself as she headed for her classroom.
But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about the tall boy’s mean teasing. It wasn’t as if her were the only one. It seemed that ever since Amy started the third grade, someone teased her every single day. Kids teased her about her speech or her limping. Amy was tired of it. Sometimes, even in a classroom full of other students, the teasing made her feel all alone.
Back home at the dinner table that evening, Amy was quiet. Her mother knew that things were not going well at school. That’s why Patti Hagadorn was happy to he some exciting news to share with her daughter.
“There’s a Christmas wish contest on the radio station,” Amy’s mom announced. “Write a letter to Santa, and you might win a prize. I think someone at this table with blonde curly hair should enter.”
Amy giggled. The contest sounded like fun. She started thinking about what she wanted most for Christmas.
A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to her. Out came pencil and paper, and Amy went to work on her letter. “Dear Santa Claus,” she began.
While Amy worked away at her best printing, the rest of the family tried to guess what she might ask from Santa. Amy’s sister, Jamie, and Amy’s mom both thought a three-foot Barbie doll would top Amy’s wish list. Amy’s dad guessed a picture book. But Amy wasn’t ready to reveal her secret Christmas wish just then. Here is Amy’s letter to Santa, just as she wrote it that night:
Dear Santa Claus,
My name is Amy. I am nine years old. I he a problem at school. Can you help me Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I he cerebral palsy. I just want one day where no one laughs at me or makes fun of me.
Love, Amy
At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letter poured in for the Christmas wish contest. The workers had fun reading about all the different presents that boys and girls from across the city wanted for Christmas.
When Amy’s letter arrived at the radio station, manager Lee Tobin read it carefully. He knew cerebral palsy was a muscle disorder that might confuse the schoolmates of Amy’s who didn’t understand her disability. He thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special third-grader and her unusual wish. Mr
. Tobin called up the local newspaper.
The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of the News Sentinel. The story spread quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and television stations reported the story of the little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple yet remarkable Christmas gift -- just one day without teasing.
Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house. Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement.
During that unfettable Christmas season, over two thousand people from all over the world sent Amy letters of friendship and support. Amy and her family read every single one. Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children. Each writer had a special message for Amy. Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy glimpsed a world full of people who truly cared about each other. She realized that no amount or form of teasing could ever make her feel lonely again.
Many people thanked Amy for being bre enough to speak up. Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her head high. Lynn, a sixth-grader from Texas, sent this message:
“I would like to be your friend,” she wrote, “and if you want to visit me, we could he fun. No one would make fun of us, ’cause if they do, we will not even hear them.”
Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne Elementary School. Additionally, everyone at school got another bonus. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel.
That year the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed December 21 as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city. The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson.
“Everyone,” said the mayor, “wants and deserves to be treated with respect, dignity and warmth.
以下为关联文档：
大学英语相似词辨析100:littlelittle，small这一对形容词是同义词，但修辞意味有所不同。Little 往往带有感情色彩，有指小和可爱的意味，它的对义词是great或big。Small是中性词，不带感情色彩，它的反义词是larg...
The Wise Little GirlThe Wise Little GirlOnce upon a time...in the immense Russian steppe, lay a little village where nearly all the inhabitants bred horses. It was the month of Oc...
The Little Pear GirlThe Little Pear GirlOnce upon a time, a peasant worked hard to make a living from his land. Every year his pear tree produced four basketfuls of fruit which ha...
The Little Green RabbitThe Little Green RabbitLong ago there was a very rich king who had three sons - three very handsome sons whom he loved very much. The king, however, desired to...
Little Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding HoodOnce upon a time...There lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature was ever seen. Her mother was excessiv...
Wee Little HavroshechkaWee Little Hroshechka There are good people in the world and some who are not so good. There are also people who are shameless in their wickedness. Wee Little H...
Daddys Little GirlDaddys Little Girl "Will you tell Daddy for me?" That was the worst part. At seventeen, telling my mom I was pregnant was hard enough, but telling my dad was im...
中考英语：我的表弟MyLittleCousin我的表弟(My Little Cousin) My little cousin is only ten, but he knows more than any students in his grade. He likes puter games and he is crazy about music. Whe...
英语句型学口语 Lesson 52:I’m just a little.52. I'm just a little... 我只是有点······ 用法透视 该句用于表达自己的心情和感受"只是有点......"。 支持范例 1. Why the long face? I'm just a little sad. 为...
